Snubbed bolster truck



March 14, 1961 F. i QUINN ETAL SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK Filed Oct. 25, 1958 United States Patent SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK Filed Oct. 23, 1958, Ser. No. 769,259

12 Claims. (Cl. 105-197) This invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to a truck in which novel means are provided for snubbing oscillations of the bolster relative to its supporting side frames and for returning the bolster to normal perpendicular relationship with respect to said frames after the bolster has been forced to an out-ofsquare relationship with respect to the side frames, as for example, when the truck proceeds around a curved section of track.

A primary object of the invention is to afford maximum bearing area between the bolster and friction shoes in an arrangement wherein the shoes are urged against the bolster and side frame columns by springs maintained under pressure against portions of the bolster structure.

Another object of the invention is to afford in a truck such as above described, shoe actuating springs of maxi-v mum length and capacity.

Yet another object of the invention is to improve the manner in which the friction shoes urge the bolster to perpendicular relationship with respect to the supporting side frames. p

The foregoing and other objects and advantages-of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in central vertical section, illustrating an embodiment of the invention; v

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the side frame taken on line 2--2 of Figure l, with the bolster and its supporting springs illustrated in elevation;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view corresponding to Figure 3 but illustrating a modification of the invention.

Describing the invention in detail and referring to the drawings, it will be understood that the truck comprises a pair of side frames, one of which is illustrated at 2. The side frame comprises spaced columns 4 partly defining a bolster opening 6 within which one end of a bolster 8 is supported as by springs 10 carried by the frame 2.

The bolster 8 comprises top and bottom walls 12 and 14, respectively, and spaced side walls 16 having gibs 18 loosely interlocking each end of the bolster with related side frame columns 4 to permit oscillation of the bolster vertically as well as longitudinally and laterally with respect to side frames and to afford movement of the bolster to an out-of-square relationship with respect to the side frame 2, as heretofore described. As best seen in Figure 3, each side wall 16 is connected by inboard and outboard substantially parallel webs 20 and 22, respectively to segments 24 and 26 of a bolster web generally designated 28, said web comprising another segment 30 extending between and connected to the segments 24 and 26. The bottom of web 28'is connected to a substantially vertical bolster web 32 which merges with the bottom wall 14.

The bolster, as illustrated, is a multi-partstructure in- Patented Mar. 14, 1961 eluding a spring plate 34, at each end thereof mounted on the springs 10 and supporting the bottom wall 14. However, if desired, as is well known in the art, the bolster 8 may be a one-piece cast structure with the spring plate 34 integral with the bottom wall 14.

Associated with each web 28 is a friction shoe generally designated 36, said shoe having a friction face 38 frictionally engaged with a wear plate 40 which may be mounted in any desired manner, as by welding, on the related side frame column 4 or may be integral therewith as desired. The shoe comprises wedge surfaces 42 and 44 which engage segments 24 and 26 of the bolster web 28, and the shoe also comprises a wedge surface 46 which engages segment 30 of the web 28.

As best seen in Figure l, the web- 28, including all three segments 24, 26 and 30 thereof, slopes downwardly at'an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal vertical center plane of the bolster indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Moreover, as best seen in Figure 3, the segments 24 and 26 converge with respect to each other toward said plane and at an acute angle. The sides of shoe 36 are spaced from the bolster webs 20 and 22 as seen in Figure 3 to accommodate movement of the bolster lengthwise thereof, with respect to the side frame and to accommodate movement of the bolster to out-ofsquare relationship with respect to the side frame as heretofore described. The gibs 18 are similarly spaced and for the same purpose form the inboard and outboard wedges of column 4.

It may be noted, that the engagement of shoe surface 46 with the segment 30 of the bolster web 28 preferably represents a worn-in condition which occurs after shoe surfaces 42 and 44, as well as the engaged surfaces of segments 24 and 26 have worn in service. Thus, it will be understood that the shoe surface 46 may if desired, be initially spaced from the segment 30 and arranged to engage the latter after such wearing in of the other related surfaces, as heretofore described.

The lowermost point of wedge engagement between bolster web 28 and the friction shoe 36 is preferably spaced (along a horizontal plane) from the vertical center plane of the bolster, a distance substantially less than one-quarter of the distance between said center plane and the wear plate 40 along said horizontal plane. This relationship is significant in combination with the construction and arrangement of wedge surfaces 42, 44 and 46, in affording maximum bearing of the shoe against the bolster in such an arrangement. Thus, the lowermost point of engagement between the shoe 36 and the bolster web 28 is depicted in Figure 1 at 48 and is spaced along a horizontal plane XX from the vertical center plane of the bolster indicated by line 22, a distance which is clearly less than twenty five percent of the distance along said horizontal plane from center line 22 to the wear plate 40. This novel arrangement affords a condition in which the combined bearing area of the shoe against the bolster web 28 along segment 24, 26 and 30 thereof is greater than two-thirds of the area of the shoe face 38, hereby affording an arrangement capable of long life in service and unusual bolster stability during movements thereof, as heretofore described.

Each friction shoe is actuated by a spring 50 compressed against the spring plate 34 and against a spring seat 52 of friction shoe which is preferably disposed above the level of the top of the bolster wall 12 and in any event is disposed above the level of the bottom of The bolster webs 20 and 22 and each friction shoe may be provided with openings indicated at 54 in Figure 3 1 for the purpose of receiving a key to lock the shoe and spring in inoperative position during assembly and disassembly of the truck.

Also, as best seen in Figure 2, the top or compression member 56 of the side frame 2 is provided with an opening 58 above each friction shoe for the reception of the upper end of shoe and the bolster web 28 as the bolster is elevated to the top bolster opening '6 during assembly and disassembly of the springs 10.

Figure 4 is a sectional view corresponding to Figure 3, but illustrating a modification of the invention wherein parts corresponding to those previously described in connection with Figures 1-3 are identified by corresponding numerals. In the modification of Figure 4, segments 24 and 26 of the bolster web 28 are somewhat longer than in the embodiment shown in Figure 3 and the segment 30 is arcuate, so that the segments 24, 26. and 30 define a generally V-shaped web 28 which is otherwise substantially identical with the corresponding web of the embodiment shown in Figures 1-3.

It may be noted that in the modification of Figure 4, shoe surface 46 is illustrated as spaced from the bolster web segment 30, as would be the case in a new construction. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, that as the wedge surfaces 42 and 44 of the shoe and the engaged surfaces of segments 24 and 26 wear in service, the shoe surface 46 gradually moves into abutment with the segment 30 of web 28. The combined area of shoe surfaces 42 and 44 in the modification is 23 square inches, and the friction face 38 has an area of 27 square inches, as compared with values of 14 square inches of wedge face area and 27% square inches of friction face area in prior art trucks of this type.

We claim:

1. A railway car truck comprising a side frame having a column with a friction surface, a bolster structure spring-supported by said frame, and comprising top and bottom walls and spaced side walls, a web at each side of the bolster structure connected to the top wall and to a related side wall, said web sloping at an acute angle with respect to the vertical and comprising inboard and outboard segments converging with respect to each other at an acute angle toward the longitudinal vertical center plane of the bolster structure, said structure having another web connecting the bottom of said first-mentioned web to the bottom wall, friction shoe means having a substantially horizontal spring seat above the level of the bottom of said top wall, said shoe means having friction means engaged with said friction surface, said shoe means being in complementary wedge face engagement with said sloping web at least along said segments thereof, the lowermost point of said wedge face engagement being spaced, along a horizontal plane, a distance from said center plane less than 25% of the distance between said center plane and said friction surface along said horizontal plane, the total area of said wedge face engagement between the shoe means and the sloping web being greater than two-thirds of the area of said friction means, and spring means compressed on a substantially vertical axis between said bottom wall and said seat for actuation of said shoe means.

2. A railway car truck according to claim 1, wherein the wedge face engagement of the shoe means and sloping web extends a substantial distance above the upper level of the friction means.

3. A railway car truck according to claim 1, wherein the wedge face engagement of the shoe means and the sloping web extends along a substantially fiat area of the sloping web between said segments.

4. A railway car truck comprising a side frame having a column with a friction surface, a bolster structure spring-supported by said frame and comprising top and bottom walls and spaced side walls, a web at each side of the bolster structure connected to the top wall,

said web sloping at an acute angle with respect to the vertical and comprising inboard and outboard segments converging with respect to each other at an acute angle and toward the longitudinal vertical center plane of the bolster structure, friction shoe means having a substantially horizontal spring seat above the level of the bottom of said top wall, said shoe means having friction means engaged with said friction surface, said shoe means being in complementary wedge face engagement with said web at least along said segments thereof, the total area of engagement between the shoe means and web being substantially greater than two-thirds of the area of said friction means, and spring means compressed between said bottom wall and said seat for actuation of said shoe means.

5. A railway car truck according to claim 4, wherein the wedge face engagement of the shoe means and bolster web extends a substantial distance above the upper level of the friction means.

6. A railway car truck according to claim 4, wherein the wedge face engagement of the shoe means and the sloping web extends along a substantially flat area of the sloping web between said segments.

7. A railway car truck having a side frame with spaced columns defining therebetween a bolster opening, spring means disposed in said bolster opening and being supported by said frame, a spring plate on said spring means, a bolster disposed in said opening and engaging said plate, said bolster having spaced top and bottom walls, a web connecting said walls and having a plurality of segments converging and mateably joining with each other forming a pocket therebetween, said segments being inclined acutely with the vertical and extending upwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal center plane of said bolster and being above and below said top Wall, friction shoe means disposed in said pocket and being in complementary engagement with said segments, said shoe means having a friction surface for sliding engagement with said column, other spring means disposed between and abutting said shoe means and said spring plate for urging said shoe means into said engagements.

8. A railway car truck according to claim 7 wherein said pocket is defined by a live sided cross section open at only one end, two of said sides being oppositely facing, the third of said sides being disposed substantially perpendicularly to said two sides, and the fourth and fifth sides being angularly disposed between and mergingly connecting said two sides with said third side, respectively.

9. A railway truck comprising a side frame having spaced columns with friction surfaces thereon, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame and being disposed between said columns, said bolster having a longitudinal vertical center plane disposed substantially centrally of said friction surfaces, said bolster having spaced top and bottom walls interconnected by webs, each of said webs having a vertical portion and an inclined portion mergtion surface, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame.

ingly joining each other along a line, said line being disposed so as to be less than 25% of the horizontal distance from said plane to one of said friction surfaces, said inclined portion extending upwardly and outwardly from said vertical portion and comprising segments angularly disposed with each other and defining therebetween pockets, friction shoes having wedge surfaces angularly disposed with each other and being mateably received within said pockets and being slidably engageable with said segments, said shoes having friction faces slidably engageable with said friction surfaces, and spring means disposed between and abutting said shoes and said bolster for urging said shoes into said engagements.

10. In a railway car truck, a side frame having a fricand being adjacent said surface, said bolster having top and bottom walls interconnected by webs, said webs comprising a plurality of segments angularly disposed with each other and being inclined acutely with the vertical, said segments extending above and below said top Wall, a friction shoe having a friction face engageable with said surface, said shoe having wedge surfaces angularly disposed with each other and being inclined acutely with the vertical, said wedge surfaces and said segments being slidably engageable, spring means abutting said shoe and said bolster for urging said shoe into said engagements, the abutment with said shoe being disposed above the top wall of said bolster.

11. A railway car truck according to claim 10, wherein the total area of the engagement of said shoe with said bolster is greater than two thirds of the total area of the engagement of said shoe with said friction surface.

12. A railway car truck having a side frame with spaced friction surfaces, a bolster resiliently supported on said frame and having spaced top and bottom walls, webs interconnecting said walls, said webs having vertical portions thereof spaced from the longitudinal vertical center plane of said bolster and inclined portions thereof extending upwardly acutely from the vertical and outwardly from said center plane, said vertical pcttion being connected to and abuttingly joining said bot tom wall and said inclined portions being connected to and extending above and below said top wall, respectively, said portions defining outwardly facing pockets, friction shoe means disposed in the respective pockets and having wedge surfaces inclined acutely with the vertical and being mateably engageable with the inclined portions of said webs, said shoe means having friction faces engageable with said friction surfaces, respectively, and spring means disposed between the shoe means and the bolster and urging said shoe means against the friction surfaces of the frame and the'inclined portions of the bolster, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,422,638 Tucker June 17, 1947 2,702,512 Maatman -....-...t Feb. 22, .1955 v 20 2,805,630 Couch Sept. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 675,590 Great Britain July 16, 1952 

